Posted on 07/25/2004 2:54:33 AM PDT by Former Military Chick
U.S. Forces Kill 13 Insurgents Near Baghdad
Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq - American and Iraqi forces clashed with insurgents north of Baghdad early Sunday, killing 13 Iraqi militants, the U.S. military said.
There was no immediate word on U.S. casualties from the fighting in Buhriz, about three miles south of the city of Baqouba.
U.S. and Iraqi National Guard forces entered Buhriz about 3:30 a.m. to search an area of palm groves and destroyed a suspected staging ground used by insurgents for attacks on coalition and Iraqi troops, said Maj. Neal O'Brien, spokesman for the 1st Infantry Division.
During the raid, insurgents attacked Iraqi National Guard forces with small arms before the fight spilled over to the southern side of Buhriz, O'Brien told The Associated Press.
Six hours later, the Iraqi fighters began firing mortars indiscriminately, and the U.S. responded with mortar fire of its own, he said.
In Baghdad, gunmen killed a former regional official for Saddam Hussein's government and his son in a drive-by shooting and a suspected car bomb shook the city.
The explosion occurred about 10 a.m. on a major east-west road in the western part of the city, military spokesman Lt. Col. Jim Hutton said. There were no reports of casualties, he said.
Brig. Khaled Dawoud, former head of the Nahyia district in Baghdad, was driving with his son in the southern Baghdad suburb of al-Dora when insurgents pulled up in another car and opened fire, said Lt. Mustafa Abdullah al-Dulaimi, a police officer in the neighborhood. The attackers fled, al-Dulaimi said.
Eventually these folks will get it, the American's will prevail.
Let us hope anyway
This is highly interesting. Last week a US patrol was ambushed, and in the resulting fighting some 25 mutts were killed and about two dozen taken prisoner, at no loss to our forces. Now this battle, again with large enemy casualties and (so far as we know) no losses to ourselves. I think some things have changed in Iraq on the ground, tactically. We seem to have much better intelligence, that's obvious, but I wonder if something else is breaking our way also. Maybe the battle-hardened, savvy enemy forces are getting killed off and being replaced by green gomers who are easier to kill?
I think it's more like "Eventually these folks will get it" like in getting dead.
Conflicts like this are constantly acting (tactics) and reacting. It looks like we are entering a period where we know their gameplan and are kicking butt! Don't be surprised if next month the terrorists change their tactics and innocent people start dying again. Then it will be up to us, to come up with a new response (which we will).
The most important part of the story is that it was a joint operation between US and Iraqi Forces. As the Iraqis grow stronger, they will begin to take over the fight. Then there won't be any need for US troops (except perhaps in a support role.)
I'm not predicting a quick end to this conflict. Many nations around the world have had on-going conflicts. I just read how Uganda has had something similar going on for 20 years. Our victory is to leave Iraqi with a strong and free gov't that can defend themselves from these terrorists.
That reminds me of a quote from an American GI who was part of a force insuring perimiter security for the IP, who was doing a sweep through a Baghdad neigborhood. "It's not our goat, we're just holding it's legs."
That's their alternative.
Thanks to the evil Rummy and GW another innocent Iraqi Wedding party has been slaughtered!
Sarcasm off!
Kill all of the terrorists in Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Then we and the rest of the world will be safer!
Well, this will not be the first time you are quoted but I do think it is worthy of at least a second time. I must have been very tired last night, I missed that, and indeed it is worth mentioned loudly and often. Thank you.
The morning I wake up to news that all terrorists have been removed from this world will be a day of rejoicing not only from me, but, generations to come.
I believe that we will see this in our life time.
When we re elect GW for 4 more years and give him more American senators instead of Hate America senators, we will see regime changes happen in Iran, Syria, N Korea and Saudi Arabia. That would leave France, Cuba and China left as enemies of America and the world.
Fidel, hopefully, will die and go to hell and so will ChIraq. A friend who is an old ChiCom watcher for decades feels that capitalism will cause a regime change in China before this decade is over.
The major shift is the Iraqi people. On June 28th they discovered, for the first time in their lives, that some politicians won't lie to them. I think when the handover happened there was nobody more shocked than the Iraqi people.
You hit the nail on the head. The events of that day I feel were a turning point to the Iraqi people.
I can still recall my husband who happened to wake up and saw the breaking the news and could not go back to sleep. He spent so many months with the people. Watching them learn to trust. Watching them want democracy. He had a glint in his eye that I had not seen before and doubt I will see again. He just knew we saw history. His pride for his fellow soldier and fellow American were apparent. It was a good day and for him a day that was a birth of a country. Great post, McGavin999!
"OohRah!"
I love our military.
I think you are right. And now as the Iraqis are move and more moving into the front lines as the US moves into a supporting role as promised they are starting to believe.
If elections happen in January as promised look for all hell to break loose.
Joint operations are important but I found the above to be of some importance as well. It sounds like we may have secret government hit teams taking out Saddam's henchman. Pay back is a bitch.
13 is not enough. Can you get the numbers up boys?
I think anytime we walk away from a battle with no losses, the Lord has blessed us mightily. No amount of superior firepower, should allow you to do that.
Ditto. Extra prayers are being sent for our troops. Please Lord, protect them from evil, Amen.
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